Colts may be preparing to use more 3 tight end sets

There is no denying the massive use of 11 personnel across the league but the Indianapolis Colts might be looking to take that a step further after signing Eric Ebron in free agency.

Immediately after the Colts announced the signing, fans and media alike began thinking about the potential to use more two tight end sets with Ebron and 2017 Pro Bowler Jack Doyle.

However, with Erik Swoope looking to come back healthy, general manager Chris Ballard hinted that some three tight end sets could be in the works for the offense.

“Then the complement between, Doyle, then Eric and then possibly getting Swoope back gives us 3 tight ends that all have a unique skill set,” Ballard told 1070 The Fan. “Look 13 personnel is going to be hard to defend. You have to decide if you are going to play sub, get into your nickel stuff, then that’s where you can run the ball a little bit more. The use of these tight ends is going to be fun to watch are coaching staff do.”

The 13 personnel isn’t one that is used often. In 2017, that package was used on just five percent of the plays across the league with the Colts only using the package on four percent of their plays, per Sharp Football Stats.

Doyle has been a consistent and reliable contributor over the past two seasons and the Colts are hoping Ebron can tap into some of the potential that got him selected with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.

In addition to that, Swoope missed the entire 2017 season due to a knee injury he suffered in the preseason. As an exclusive rights free agent this offseason, the Colts applied the tender to Swoope, locking him down for the 2018 season.

The Colts are changing a lot offensively with Frank Reich taking over the head coach and play-calling duties. If everyone is healthy, it will be interesting to see how much they use the three tight end sets.